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It's because of the kind of tow hitch BMW installs in the US, which is a ligher duty unit than the one they install in the EU. I believe if you install a better hitch like an Invisihitch you'll get the full EU tow rating.

Bingo. We offer the only Class III hitch in north america for the X3. We are able to do this by importing our euro hitch design (rated by BMW overseas on the X3 at 5,500 lbs). We merely adapt the ball mounts to north american standards.

Daryl, it sounds to me the invisihitch does have superior spec over the oem, the only drawback is lacking of the PDC reprograming... any insight?

We probably need to do a better job of informing people that we offer our invisihitch with the exact same wiring harness that comes with the dealer hitch. So with the invisihitch you get a higher-capacity hitch, 100% stealth, AND your X3 gets reprogrammed the same way as if you had installed the dealer hitch.

Once reprogrammed, your vehicle will automatically disable the rear PDC sensors whenever a trailer is plugged in. It will also activate a trailer-stability module that applies alternate wheel braking in the event of trailer "snaking" (repetitive swaying). And it will inform you with a dash light if any bulb on the trailer burns out, as well as give you some other dandy features.

I agree with you that there are a number of advantages to using the OEM trailer-wiring harness and reprogramming the vehicle to communicate with it. I just wish more people knew that the invisihitch comes with the OEM harness! Perhaps now they will. So thank you for posting.

Any BMW dealer and most independent BMW service centers can reprogram the vehicle after a DIY installation of the hitch and harness. Adding the hitch option is a built-in menu selection on their programming equipment.

If you want to shop pricing for the reprogramming, try bimmershops.com -- enter your zip code and then call around to your local bimmershops for quotes to do only the reprogramming to add the hitch option.

This was a very informative thread, where does one get the "invisihitch" installed if we don't want to DIY our shiny new X3 bumper?

Any bimmershop that has experience installing the dealer hitch can install the invisihitch. The procedures are the same; you just get a nicer result. A more expensive option is to ask your dealer to install it. Since we use the OEM wiring harness and we are the OE hitch overseas, many U.S. dealers will install the invisihitch. In fact, we wholesale to many of them. Some will not install anything that is not sourced directly from BMWNA, so be sure to ask first.

If you would like to PM me or email me with your zip code, I would be happy to provide more information about specific dealers and independent installers in your area. We've got negotiated installation pricing in some areas.